Sudan: RSF Paramilitary Detains Three Female Journalists in Darfur — Fate Unknown for Over Two Weeks

Last updated: 22 September 2026

Three women journalists employed by Sudan Radio Service were detained by elements of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in South Darfur state. As of March 16, their whereabouts remain unknown — more than two weeks after their disappearance.

The Abductions: What We Know

Three women journalists were detained by elements of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in South Darfur state on or around February 28, 2026. Colleagues and family members who attempted to make inquiries were themselves subjected to intimidation by RSF-affiliated individuals.

The RSF, a paramilitary force that emerged from the Janjaweed militias responsible for the Darfur genocide, has systematically targeted journalists and media infrastructure throughout the conflict. The organization has been widely accused of war crimes, including mass killings of civilians, sexual violence, and looting.

Darfur: A War the World Has Turned Away From

The conflict in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF has created one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, with millions displaced and reports of widespread atrocities. Darfur in particular has seen a recurrence of ethnically targeted violence strongly reminiscent of the genocide of the early 2000s.

Access for independent journalists and human rights monitors to conflict-affected areas of Darfur has been severely restricted by both parties, but particularly by the RSF, which has actively prevented documentation of its activities.

"Three women journalists are missing in Darfur. No one knows where they are. No one is telling their families anything. This is not chaos — this is systematic. And the world needs to respond accordingly."

— Committee to Protect Journalists, Urgent Action Statement (March 16, 2026)

Gender Dimensions of the Targeting

The detention of female journalists is particularly concerning given what human rights organizations have documented about the RSF's systematic use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. Multiple reports, including from UN investigators, have established that the RSF has committed widespread rape and sexual enslavement in the areas it controls.

CPJ and Reporters Without Borders have noted that the targeting of women journalists by the RSF serves the dual purpose of removing journalists who document atrocities and sending a message to women in RSF-controlled territories about the consequences of professional or civic activity.

International Calls for Release

CPJ and RSF (Reporters Without Borders) have issued urgent appeals demanding the immediate and unconditional release of the three detained journalists. The UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression has issued a public statement calling the detentions "an outrageous attack on press freedom and a further indication of total disregard for international humanitarian law."

Accountability and the Responsibility to Protect

Human rights organizations are calling for the UN Security Council to refer the current situation in Sudan to the International Criminal Court and to impose targeted sanctions on RSF leadership until the detained journalists are released and accountability processes are established.

Sources: Committee to Protect Journalists — cpj.org | Reporters Without Borders — rsf.org | Human Rights Watch — hrw.org | Amnesty International — amnesty.org | ICC — icc-cpi.int